Vibration control apparatus

Abstract

Provided is a vibration control apparatus that acquires pseudo force sensory vibration data descriptive of a pseudo force sensory vibration causing a user to feel a pseudo force sensation, acquires tactile sensory vibration data descriptive of a tactile sensory vibration causing the user to feel a tactile sensation, and causes a vibration mechanism to generate a vibration based on the pseudo force sensory vibration data and the tactile sensory vibration data.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A vibration control apparatus for vibrating a vibration mechanism, the vibration control apparatus comprising:
 a pseudo force sensory vibration data acquisition section that acquires pseudo force sensory vibration data descriptive of a pseudo force sensory vibration presenting a pseudo force sensation causing a user to feel a force of pulling in a specific direction; 
 a tactile sensory vibration data acquisition section that acquires tactile sensory vibration data descriptive of a tactile sensory vibration causing the user to feel a tactile sensation different from the pseudo force sensation; 
 a vibration control section that causes the vibration mechanism to generate a vibration based on the pseudo force sensory vibration data and the tactile sensory vibration data; and 
 a vibration adjustment section that adjusts at least one of the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration in accordance with one or more waveform parameters of the other of the at least one of the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration, such that the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration are simultaneously generated, wherein the vibration control section causes the vibration mechanism to generate the vibration based on a result of adjustment, wherein at least one of: 
 (i) the vibration adjustment section changes a frequency of the pseudo force sensory vibration in accordance with the tactile sensory vibration, and inverts a waveform of the pseudo force sensory vibration in a case where the frequency of the pseudo force sensory vibration is changed within a predetermined numerical value range, and 
 (ii) the vibration adjustment section adjusts a waveform of the tactile sensory vibration so as to reduce a bias of a vibration along a direction in which the pseudo force sensation is presented. 
 
     
     
       2. The vibration control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the vibration adjustment section varies an amplitude of a waveform of the pseudo force sensory vibration in accordance with a magnitude of an amplitude of a waveform of the tactile sensory vibration. 
     
     
       3. The vibration control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the vibration adjustment section varies a length of the pseudo force sensory vibration so as to terminate the pseudo force sensory vibration at a time point later than a termination of the tactile sensory vibration. 
     
     
       4. The vibration control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the vibration adjustment section determines a shape of a waveform of the pseudo force sensory vibration in accordance with the tactile sensory vibration. 
     
     
       5. The vibration control apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a setting information reception section that receives, from the user, inputted setting information regarding strengths of the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration, 
 wherein the vibration adjustment section makes the adjustment in accordance with the inputted setting information. 
 
     
     
       6. The vibration control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the vibration adjustment section adds, to a beginning of the pseudo force sensory vibration, a vibration for presenting the pseudo force sensation oriented opposite to a direction in which the pseudo force sensation is presented. 
     
     
       7. A vibration device comprising:
 a vibration mechanism; 
 a vibration data acquisition section that acquires vibration data including a description of a pseudo force sensory vibration presenting a pseudo force sensation causing a user to feel a force of pulling in a specific direction and a description of a tactile sensory vibration causing the user to feel a tactile sensation different from the pseudo force sensation; 
 a vibration control section that causes the vibration mechanism to generate a vibration based on the acquired vibration data; and 
 a vibration adjustment section that adjusts at least one of the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration in accordance with one or more waveform parameters of the other of the at least one of the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration, such that the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration are simultaneously generated, wherein the vibration control section causes the vibration mechanism to generate the vibration based on a result of adjustment, wherein at least one of: 
 (i) the vibration adjustment section changes a frequency of the pseudo force sensory vibration in accordance with the tactile sensory vibration, and inverts a waveform of the pseudo force sensory vibration in a case where the frequency of the pseudo force sensory vibration is changed within a predetermined numerical value range, and 
 (ii) the vibration adjustment section adjusts a waveform of the tactile sensory vibration so as to reduce a bias of a vibration along a direction in which the pseudo force sensation is presented. 
 
     
     
       8. A method of controlling a vibration mechanism, the method comprising:
 acquiring pseudo force sensory vibration data descriptive of a pseudo force sensory vibration presenting a pseudo force sensation causing a user to feel a force of pulling in a specific direction; 
 acquiring tactile sensory vibration data descriptive of a tactile sensory vibration causing the user to feel a tactile sensation different from the pseudo force sensation; 
 causing the vibration mechanism to generate a vibration based on the pseudo force sensory vibration data and the tactile sensory vibration data; and 
 adjusting at least one of the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration in accordance with one or more waveform parameters of the other of the at least one of the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration, such that the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration are simultaneously generated, wherein the causing includes causing the vibration mechanism to generate the vibration based on a result of adjustment, wherein at least one of: 
 (i) the adjusting includes changing a frequency of the pseudo force sensory vibration in accordance with the tactile sensory vibration, and inverting a waveform of the pseudo force sensory vibration in a case where the frequency of the pseudo force sensory vibration is changed within a predetermined numerical value range, and 
 (ii) the adjusting includes adjusting a waveform of the tactile sensory vibration so as to reduce a bias of a vibration along a direction in which the pseudo force sensation is presented. 
 
     
     
       9. A non-transitory, computer readable storage medium containing a program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to control a vibration mechanism, by carrying out actions, comprising:
 acquiring pseudo force sensory vibration data descriptive of a pseudo force sensory vibration presenting a pseudo force sensation causing a user to feel a force of pulling in a specific direction; 
 acquiring tactile sensory vibration data descriptive of a tactile sensory vibration causing the user to feel a tactile sensation different from the pseudo force sensation; 
 causing the vibration mechanism to generate a vibration based on the pseudo force sensory vibration data and the tactile sensory vibration data; and 
 adjusting at least one of the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration in accordance with one or more waveform parameters of the other of the at least one of the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration, such that the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration are simultaneously generated, wherein the causing includes causing the vibration mechanism to generate the vibration based on a result of adjustment, wherein at least one of: 
 (i) the adjusting includes changing a frequency of the pseudo force sensory vibration in accordance with the tactile sensory vibration, and inverting a waveform of the pseudo force sensory vibration in a case where the frequency of the pseudo force sensory vibration is changed within a predetermined numerical value range, and 
 (ii) the adjusting includes adjusting a waveform of the tactile sensory vibration so as to reduce a bias of a vibration along a direction in which the pseudo force sensation is presented. 
 
     
     
       10. A vibration control apparatus for vibrating a vibration mechanism, the vibration control apparatus comprising:
 a pseudo force sensory vibration data acquisition section that acquires pseudo force sensory vibration data descriptive of a pseudo force sensory vibration presenting a pseudo force sensation causing a user to feel a force of pulling in a specific direction; 
 a tactile sensory vibration data acquisition section that acquires tactile sensory vibration data descriptive of a tactile sensory vibration causing the user to feel a tactile sensation different from the pseudo force sensation; 
 a vibration control section that causes the vibration mechanism to generate a vibration based on the pseudo force sensory vibration data and the tactile sensory vibration data; 
 a vibration adjustment section that adjusts at least one of the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration in accordance with one or more waveform parameters of the other of the at least one of the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration, such that the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration are simultaneously generated, wherein the vibration control section causes the vibration mechanism to generate the vibration based on a result of adjustment; 
 a setting information reception section that receives, from the user, inputted setting information regarding strengths of the pseudo force sensory vibration and the tactile sensory vibration, 
 wherein the vibration adjustment section makes the adjustment in accordance with the inputted setting information.